Pile-and-concrete connecting device



Jan. 20, 1970 R. F. MOORE ET AL 3,490,185 PILE-KND-CO NCRETE CONNECTING DEVICE Filed June 26 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 3 i ,34 4

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Jan. 20, 1970 R. F. MOORE ET AL 3,490,185

FILE-AND-CONCRETE CONNECTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26 1967 FIG. 7

FIG/8 FIG. 72

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A E R O O M D E R F T R E B 0 R ALVIN EDWARD MOORE INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3.490,185 PILE-AND-CONCRETE CONNECTING DEVICE Robert Fred Moore, 1625 3rd Ave., Picayune, Miss- 39466, and Alvin Edward Moore, 916 Beach Blvd., Waveland, Miss. 39576 Filed June 26, 1967, Ser. No. 648,572 Int. Cl. E02d 27/00, /22; E04c 3/30 US. Cl. 52-169 22 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device connecting a concrete slab to the top of a pile, imbedded in the concrete on the pile, and preventing the concrete, when subjected to uplifting forces from tearing away from the pile. Two toothed connectors are fastened on opposite sides of the pile by teeth and a bolt. Each connector basically comprises: a top member having toothed portions adapted to be driven into the pile; and an element inclined upward and away from the pile to a fixed junction with the top member, having a lower, pivot edge adapted to contact the pile and cause pivotal movement toward the pile of the inclined element and toothed top member. This element has a portion that is upwardly and outwardly inclined relative to the piles axis, deflecting the uplifting force toward the axis. The connector preferably has side elements that prevent poured, Wet concrete from entering the air space between the inclined element and pile. Five forms of the connector are disclosed.

This invention pertains to a metallic connecting device for holding a slab of concrete on a pile when the concrete is being uplifted relative to the pile.

A concrete slab that is anchored to piles is frequently subjected to forces of largely unpredictable directions that tend to move the concrete relative to the deep-driven and stationary pile. Such forces are caused, for instance, by: the swaying of a tall building or high tower mounted on a concrete foundation slab; the movement of a reinforced-concrete bridge relative to supporting piles; movement under the tremendous force of hurricane tidal waves and winds of a pile-supported pavement, concrete revetment or embankment-retaining wall. When any of these movements is downward on a pile, the top of the pile stops it; but when the movement is upward there is a strong tendency to pull the connectors out of the pile and thus cause extreme and destructive movement of the slab. The present types of pile-and-concrete connectors are not efiicient in resisting this tearing apart of the concrete and pile by such upward movement. The anchor pulls out of the wood.

In view of these facts, an object of the present invention is to provide an efiicient connecting device, comprising an inclined plate and a bolt fastening it to a pile, that will strongly resist upward movement of concrete relative to the pile.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pileand-concrete connector that has: upper teeth adapted to be driven into a pile; and a lower, toothed projection comprising a pivot for the connector on the pile after the teeth are driven; pairs of the connectors being constructed and arranged on the pile to convert a portion of upward force on the concrete into a force acting on said teeth, tending to drive said teeth farther into the pile.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a cast or welded article of manufacture comprising a pile-andconcrete connector having: a top member comprising at least one tooth; an inclined element having a hole (through which a fastening element may be extended), and a pivot edge that is adapted to contact a pile.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the inventive structure and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of one form of the invented connecting device, imbedded in concrete, with part of the concrete shown as broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the assembled pile, connectors and concrete from the plane indicated by the arrows 22 of FIGURE 1, showing part of the pile and concrete as broken away. The top plate of the connector optionally may be in a plane (as in FIGURE 3) or a curve (as in FIGURES 4A and 4B).

FIGURE 3 is a detail view in vertical and elevation of one of the connectors of FIGURES 1 and 2, illustrating several optional types of connector teeth.

FIGURE 4A is an end elevational view, partly broken away of a second form of the connector.

FIGURE 4B is an end elevational view, partly broken away, of the form of connector illustrated in FIGURE 4A, showing alternative details of construction of its lower teeth.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view, drawn on a small scale, of the connector shown in each of FIGURES 1 to 4B.

FIGURE 6 is a side, sectional view from a vertical median plane thru a third form of the connector.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a variation of the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 6, especially designed to be made of cast iron or steel. Two of the pairs of connectors are here indicated to be on a pile, before concrete is poured over them.

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a variation of the type of connector shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, assembled on a pile.

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a fourth form of the invented connector, shown on a pile.

FIGURE 10 is a side view, partly broken away, from a vertical median plane thru a connector of the general type shown in FIGURES 1 to 4B, showing optional details of construction, including a yieldable pad which may be placed on the top plate of any of the connectors of FIGURES 1 to 14. This type of pad is especially useful with the general type of top plate that is shown in FIG- URES 1 to 4B and 8 to 14.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view from the plane 1111 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a top plan view of a fifth form of the invention.

FIGURE 13 is an end elevational view of the connector of FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 14 is a side elevational view of the connector of FIGURE 12.

In each of the five forms of this invention that are illustrated in the drawings the pile-and-concrete connecting device 1 comprises a pair of connectors which in assembly may be fixed on sides of a pile 2 by teeth and a bolt 3 and nuts. Each of these connectors comprises: a top, toothed member (indicated at 4 in FIGURES 2, 3 and 14, at 5 in FIGURE 4A, 6 in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, and 8 in FIGURE 9); an inclined element, inclined upward and away from the pile (9 in FIGURES 2, 4B and 5; 10 in FIGURE 6; 11-12 in FIGURE 7; 13 in FIGURE 8; 14 in FIGURE 9; 15 in FIGURE 10; and 16 in FIGURE 14); said inclined portion having a lower, pivot edge that fits snugly againstand may be slightly imbedded in the pile; side elements that prevent wet concrete from going into space 17 between the inclined member and the pile (shown at 18 in FIGURE 3; 19 in FIGURE 4A; 20 in FIGURE 6; 21 in FIGURES 7 and 8; 22 in FIGURE 9; and 23 in 3 FIGURE 14); and (preferably) lower teeth that are on the side elements and/or the lower pivot edge of the inclined portion.

For convenience of illustration, the space 17, into which no concrete enters when the slab is poured, is numbered only in FIGURE 2. But such air space preferably exists in each of the disclosed connectors of the invention. As will be pointed out in more detail below, this space is preferably provided to permit a slight amount of pivoting of the upper part of the connector toward the axis of the pile when an uplifting force occurs in the concrete slab at on near the anchored pile. This slight pivoting is about a lower, toothed part of the connector which constitutes a fulcrum that is held tightly against the pile by a bolt (or other equivalent fastening means) that extends into the pile. In practice the hole in the connector of course is slightly loose around the bolt (or the like); and the bolt, as shown, is preferably near the fulcrum; so that there is little or no bending of the bolt when the pivotal movement occurs.

This slight pivoting of the upper part of the connector causes it to be rammed farther against the pile, with a slight compression of the wood by the metallic portions that bridge between the upper teeth at their roots. The upper teeth thus are driven slightly farther into the woodinstead of tearing away from the pile under the uplifting force. Although the invented connectors would function without the hollow spaces 17, these spaces thus are preferred.

Although the connecting device of this invention is especially designed and intended for use with wooden piles, it would serve also to hold a concrete slab on a concrete pile. When it is thus used the bolt (which op tionally may be integrally fastened to the inclined elements, as by welding or in casting) and the connector teeth are preferably irnbedded in the wet concrete of the pile at the time of pouring concrete. Concrete is kept out of space 17 by a masking element, which may be a steel or plastic plate or adhesive tape, wound around the connector, but not over the teeth. This element bridges between the side elements and covers space 17 on its side adjacent to the pile. When used with the separate side walls 21 it preferably is united to the edges of the side walls that are adjacent to the pile.

In the species of the invention shown in FIGURES l to 4B and 11 to 14 the top, toothed member of the connector, when in place on the pile, has a top surface that comprises approximately level lines, extending approximately perpendicularly from the pile. This top member is shown as having a plurality of teeth, which for example may be five in number. These teeth may be of any design which facilitates their penetration of the wood of the pile under hammer blows. For example, the teeth in any of the disclosed forms of the invention may be shaped as shown in FIGURE 3 at 24, or 26, or 28, or 30, or 32. Teeth 24, 26 and 32 are shown as having blunt or rounded entering edges 34. In testing working models of the invention edges that are blunt have satisfactorily penetrated the pile wood; but preferably they have a knife edge, one form of which is indicated at 36.

The form of the connector shown in FIGURES 1 to 5 and 11 to 14 comprises an upper surface (for example, of 4 in FIGURES 1 to 3, or 5 in FIGURES 4A and 4B) which projects approximately perpendicularly from the pile. If this projection is directly against the concrete its perpendicular arrangement allows only an extremely slight pivoting of the upper part, due to the fact that the concrete in setting only slightly shrinks away from the metal surface. But preferably, and as will be pointed out in detail below, the pivoting is facilitated by a flexible coating on top of the connector.

This general form of the connector, shown in variations in FIGURES l to 5 and to 14 further comprises: an element, 9, which is inclined from its lower, pivot edge 40 upward and outward from the pile; side elements .4 18, 19 that prevent wet concrete from entering space 17; lateral extensions or projections on the side elements 18 which with an overhanging part 42 of top member 4 form a pocket or recess that receives upward force of rising concrete below the pocket; and lower teeth, which may be: a single pair of teeth, 32, on or near the base of each side element; or this pair and other teeth, 44, jutting from the lower edge 40; and/or extra teeth on the side elements of the type shown at 46. Instead of these extra teeth the portion of each side element that is between upper tooth 30 and lower tooth 32 may be knife-edged as indicated at 48. In FIGURE 3 the knife edge 48, as well as that shown at 50, is farther from the viewer than tooth edge 34 or the knife-edge of tooth 30. The tops of teeth 30 and 32 are fiat and level; and the portion 52 of the right-hand side element in FIGURE 3 that is between the fiat top of 32 and the bottom edge 54 of tooth 46 is optionally blunt as shown, or knife-edged as indicated at 50.

As shown in FIGURES 12 to 14 the side elements, having teeth 56, merge into the inclined portion 16 in a continuous curve, which in the form shown is circular in a plane normal to the upright median line of 16.

When concrete, covering the whole of a connecting device except its spaces 17, rises it jams against the inclined portions ('9 or 16) of the pair of connectors and forces each of the top members 4 to pivot slightly about pivot edge 40, thus keeping the top teeth tightly rammed into the pile. If, as is preferable, the perpendicular upper surface has room for the preferred amount of movement relative to the concrete this pivoting is suflicient to cause the teeth and pile-engaging edges of the side elements 18 to efliciently compress and enter into the wood, thus further strengthening the connection between pile and concrete. Such room is achieved in this invention by the optional use of a layer, pad or sheet 57 of flexible material, which may be asphalted felt, flexible foam plastic or a coating of mastic (such as a porous rubber or other compound, of the type for instance that is sprayed to form an undercoat of automobiles). In a test of a pair of connectors of the type shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 one of the top members was covered with a film of oil and the other with asphalted felt; and the one whose top was oil-coated held satisfactorily against a simulated pile under extremely high force; but the upper teeth of the other connector whose top was covered by asphalted felt dug more deeply into the wood than those of the oilcovered connector. Both connectors successfully resisted a pressure of forty tons in the test.

Such a flexible covering also optionally may be used with any of the other connectors shown in the drawings; but preferably it is utilized with the general type of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 to 5 and 10 to 14.

In the form of FIGURES 4A and 4B the top member 5 is curved, with radii centered on a line that is normal to the axis of the pile; and thus in pivoting about edge 40 this top member tends to ram against the concrete, as in the form of FIGURES 1 to 3. Therefore a top pad or coating of mastic is preferably used with all variations of this general type of the invention.

An advantage of the structure of FIGURES 4A and 4B lies in the fact that two or more teeth 19 may be formed on each side element without any tooth being so much above another that the wood between teeth has a tendency to tear out.

In the third form of the invention, shown in FIGURES 6 to S, the major part of top member 6 has a curved surface whose radii are centered at or near the lower, pivot edge of the inclined portion. In FIGURE 6 this curved major part extends from point 58 (which indicates a level line) to point (or line) 60. Its curvature preferably is on an arc of a circle centered at or below the central point of curved edge 40. To the viewers left of point 60 the upper and lower surfaces of the teeth preferably are curved as illustrated, but optionally may be straight. To the right of line 58 a short-radius curve is shown, blunt to aid in hammering the teeth into the pile. The design of each of these curves is such that every point on it, pivoting toward the pile about the center of edge 40, moves away from the concrete. This form of the invention may be made either by bending and welding steel parts or by casting. It will function efiiciently with no yieldable material covering its top member, but a coating of oil over it is preferred.

Variations of this curved-top form of the invention are shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. In these structures the top member is thickened so that the connector may be made of cast iron or steel and safely hammered in assembly with a' pile. In FIGURES 7 and 8 the side elements, 21, are not made integrally with the element 11-13. In the form of an inverted U, they may be made of thin sheet metal or plastic, and spot-welded or glued at the factory to the main body of the connector. Element 62 may be either one of a pair of tabs or a continuous bridging element, holding the upright legs of the side elements together. Instead of fastening these side elements to the connectors proper at the plant they may be placed over the top members and spaces 17 at the pile-driving site. Optionally, these side elements may be used in lieu of the side elements shown in FIGURES l to 5, 10 and 11; and optionally they may be of stiff asphalted felt.

A fourth form of the invention, shown in FIGURE 9, comprises a top member 8 that has a planar upper surface, each point of which, in pivoting toward a pile about the lower, pivot edge of inclined portion 14, moves away from the concrete that is over member 8. In this inventive form side elements 22 (of metal, plastic or thin wood) are shown as spot welded or glued to the sides of elements 8 and 14.

The connector shown in FIGURE 10, with thickened parts designed for casting, is a variation of either the form of FIGURES l and 2 or that of FIGURES 4A and 4B.

The fifth illustrated form of the invention, shown in FIGURES 12 to 14, may be easily made by casting, or by welding the planar top member 4 to the top edges of elements 16 and 23, so that projection 64 overhangs 16. In this form the curved, inclined element 16 merges at its sides into curved side elements 23. Preferably these merging curves, form, in planes perpendicular to the middle line of portion 16, circular arcs; and therefore curved elements 16 and 23 may be simply and economically cut from steel pipefor example, pipe of ten or twelve inches in diameter.

In each of the forms of the invention a means is optionally provided to permit tightening of nut 66 without placing excessive bending stress on the bolt. This means optionally may be a washer 68, which has a lower portion that is considerably thicker than its upper portion or a cast or welded projection, such as element 70. In connectors that have no vertical hammering ledge of the type shown at 72 in FIGURE 10 this welded or cast projection may be extended to each side of the nut a sufficient distance to provide a lower hammering ledge. Or if such is desired a hammering ledge of the type shown at 74 in FIGURE 6 may be utilized.

Within the scope of the following claims, various modifications of the illustrated structure may be made.

What we claimed is:

1. A pile-and-concrete connector comprising:

a top member having toothed portions adapted to be imbedded in a pile;

an inclined element, fixedly connected to said top member, having a lower, pivot edge adapted to contact the pile when said toothed portions are imbedded in it, and having a bolt hole in its lower half; and side elements on lateral portions of said top member and inclined element, adapted to contact the pile when said toothed portions are imbedded in it, forming with said top member and inclined element an 6 air space, devoid of concrete, between the inclined element and pile.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said pile is wooden, and said toothed portions comprise a plurality of wood-penetrating teeth.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, which further comprises yieldable material covering a portion of the upper surface of said top member.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, in which said yieldable material is asphalted felt.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said side elements are fixedly attached to said lateral portions of the top member and inclined element.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said side elements are movably connected with said lateral portions of the top member and side element.

7. A device as set forth in claim 5, in which said pile is wooden, said toothed portions comprise a plurality of wood-penetrating teeth, and said side elements are of thick, strength-providing material and comprise teeth, adapted to be driven into the pile when the connector is assembled on it.

8. A device as set forth in claim 2, in which said inclined element comprises teeth adjacent to said lower, pivot edge, adapted to be driven into the pile when the connector is fastened to it.

9. A device as set forth in claim 7, in which said inclined element comprises teeth adjacent to said lower, pivot edge, adapted to be driven into the pile when the connector is fastened to it.

10. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said top member has an upper, planar surface that, when the connector is fastened to a pile, extends from the pile to a portion of the member adjacent to the top of said inclined element.

11. A device as set forth in claim 10, in which the plane of said upper surface is approximately normal to the axis of the pile when the connector is assembled with the pile.

12. A device as set forth in claim 10, in which the plane of said upper surface, when the connector is assembled with the pile, extends downward and outward from the pile to the vicinity of said top of the inclined element.

13. A device as set forth in claim 2, in which said top member has a curved upper surface.

14. A device as set forth in claim 13, in which, when the connector is in use, a plane thru the axis of the pile intersects the said curved surface along an arc.

15. A device as set forth in claim 14 in which the radius of said are is at least as long as the distance between any point of the arc and the said lower pivot edge.

16. A device as set forth in claim 13, in which, when the connector is in use, a plane parallel to the axis of the pile intersects the said curved surface along an arc.

17. A device as set forth in claim 2, in which said inclined element is fixedly connected to said top member at points between the said teeth and the edge of the member that in use is farthest from the pile, and in which said member comprises a portion that in use projects beyond the top of said inclined element, on the side of the inclined element away from the pile, and has a lower surface in contact with concrete.

18. In combination:

a foundation pile;

a pile-and-concrete connecting device, for holding uprising concrete on the pile, comprising: a rodlike element extending thru the top part of the pile; a connector-holding means on each end of the element; and a connector held against the pile by each of said holding means, each of said connectors comprising:

a top member having toothed portions imbedded in the pile;

an inclined element, fixedly connected to said top mem- 21. A device for connecting a pile and concrete, resisting uplifting force on the concrete, comprising:

an element, clamped to the pile, receiving said uplifther, having a lower, fulcrum edge in contact with the pile, inclined from said edge upward and outward from the axis of the pile, with a hole in its lower part thru which said element extends, said inclined element providing an air space between it and the pile; and

side elements, covering the sides of said space, contacting the pile and said top member and inclined element; and

concrete, surrounding the top of the pile and said connecting device; said concrete when being uplifted jamming against said inclined element, and exerting force on said toothed portions, urging them toward the pile.

19. Structure for connecting a pile and concrete, resisting uplifting force on the concrete, comprising:

uplift-receiving means in the concrete, transmitting any uplifting force on the concrete;

structure, having its major portion in the concrete,

connected to said means and receiving said transmitted uplifting force, having: means fastening the structure to said pile comprising a plurality of teeth, engaging the pile, having upwardly inclined portions; and connecting means, for connecting said structure and first-named means;

said teeth being constructed and arranged. to be urged toward the axis of the pile by said force received from said uplifting means and connecting means.

20. A device as set forth in claim 19, in which said pile is of wood; in which said teeth are rigidly attached to said connecting means and are driven into said wood; and in which a median plane thru each tooth is inclined upward from the root of the tooth toward the said pile axis.

ing force and transmitting it to a side of the pile, having a portion that is inclined to an upright plane that is parallel to the axis of the pile, said portion receiving said uplifting force and transmitting it toward said axis, having a length of a plurality of inches, and having an upper end that is farther from the axis than its lower end; and connecting means for fastening and clamping said element to said pile.

22. A device as set forth in claim 21, in which said pile is of wood, and in which said element comprises teeth, fixed to said upper end of the inclined portion, adapted to penetrate said wood when said element is forced against the pile.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,558,939 10/1925 Smith et al 61-53 X 2,782,606 2/1957 Fox 61-53 1,912,111 5/1933 Watt 61-53 3,295,332 1/1967 Dougherty 61-56 X 1,726,371 8/1929 Spring 52-170 2,090,972 8/1937 Allen 52-170 2,317,016 4/1943 Allen 61-52 2,768,520 10/1956 Strehan 52-260 3,087,308 4/1963 Hart et al 61-50 X ALFRED C. PERI-1AM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

